Omicron: GP explains ‘overwhelming’ science behind vaccines
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Although the variant is considered one of concern, research from Oxford University has shown that despite its increased transmissibility it does not have a greater vaccine escape.
In late 2021, when Omicron was spreading across the UK, it was found that it could evade the protection conferred by two doses of the vaccine.
In response, the UK Government encouraged everyone to get a third dose as this was found to boost antibody levels sufficiently to provide a degree of protection.
Furthermore, while Omicron resulted in higher case rates during December and January, the illness it caused was much less severe than Delta or earlier variants of COVID-19.
In recent weeks analysis has shown that the risk of dying from Omicron is 60 percent lower than it is for Delta.
As it stands over 95 percent of COVID-19 cases in the UK are Omicron while just 4.1 percent are BA.2 and half a percent are other forms of COVID-19.
The main concentrations of BA.2 are in London and the South East of England.
BA.2’s increasing prevalence is not thought to affect the removal of the last Covid restrictions in a few weeks.
Despite this, Omicron is still circulating, and case rates are still high with thousands of individuals still vulnerable to serious illness if they catch the disease that has dominated the world since the pandemic began two years ago.
The main symptoms of Omicron are very similar to those of the cold and flu viruses that also circulate at this time of year.
Symptoms of Omicron include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat.
In contrast to Delta the data says that only half of people are being affected by the original symptoms of COVID-19, loss of taste, loss of smell, fever, and cough.
So far there is not enough data on BA.2 to know how different the symptoms are from Omicron.
Until the final restrictions are lifted the rules on self-isolation remain in place.
The current rules are that if a person tests positive they have to self-isolate for ten days although this can be reduced to five if two Covid tests come back negative and the person does not have a high temperature.
However, even if self-isolation can end after five days, the NHS recommends that that person tries to work from home if they can, wear a face covering in shops, limits contact with those at risk of serious illness and follows advice on how to avoid spreading COVID-19.
Rules on self-isolation are set to change in a few weeks with the Government potentially planning to end the legal requirement to self-isolate.
The remaining restrictions were due to end on the 24th March, however this has been changed so that the requirement could be withdrawn from Monday 21st February.
News of these changes comes at a time when case rates are still high and the NHS is under continued strain as it continues to treat COVID patients alongside shouldering the burden of non-COVID illnesses.
For more information on COVID-19 guidance visit the NHS or Government website.
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